Honey - I used to spend half my life flying - I know arm rests can be raised but surely, it's a simple matter of the 'skinny' person putting it down. I haven't come across a commercial airline that would be happy with the armrest being up during takeoff and landing and so if it can't be put down, then there's an actual problem BUT I have never come across this on the zillion flights I've taken. Where are all these people who need the arm rest to be up?

MummyPigs I disagree that 'all bets are off' one the aircraft is in the air - the default position is that the armrest is down - it being up is only acceptable if both parties are happy with it (and crew would support you on that). Sod the bloke if he was uncomfortable, that's HIS problem, not yours and he should have put the side up next to his wife or booked two seats (but I suspect they'd had that 'discussion' previously You were young - we'll let you off

I flew Ryanair as a disabled passenger last year. I was dreading it because of the horror stories and my extremely vulnerable emotions at the time (my dad had just died and it was the only flight available that day). We waited for everyone else to board as I couldn't cope with the scrum, and I was prepared to sit wherever was left.

I was really surprised to find that the cabin crew had kept a whole row free for us so we could choose which seat was most suitable. The other people in the row had to wait to have what was left. They'd also reserved space in the overhead locker for us. I was most impressed. (Sadly they did 'lose' my walking frame so I couldn't get off the plane for half an hour after everyone else while they sorted it out, but BA have done the same on occassions too so I don't hold that against them.)

I don't think everyone complains about Ryan Air and says they won't fly with them.

Michael O'Leary does indeed come across as a horrible meals scrot and it certainly is reflected in the airline. No bother if your travelling alone or as a couple though. Sitting anywhere is fine then. But with children it's a little mire uncomfortable and you have a worry about seating.

I've seen hideous treatment of a disabled traveller. She was humiliated, shouted at by staff for not giving into her seat quick enough. Also an old man shouted at for not having anywhere to put his bag (overhead bins where full)

If they truly are the cheapest I'll fly Ryan air otherwise not and id pay up to 80 more to avoid then when flying with children.

as for the op on this thread paying by weight wouldn't work, though having another person taking your space is a problem. Though Id have thought a rare enough problem.

Larger people can overspill into someone else's space, even when the arm rest is down. My friend is big, and when we have flown together her arm is well onto my seat, with the arm roast down. She doesn't need seat belt extenders, but she does worry so much that she won't be able to get the table down that she buys sandwiches to eat on the plane instead of getting the tray of food provided by the airline.

I didn't mind my friend being in my space because I'm small, but I would hate it if it was a stranger. Something does need to change to solve this problem, and I don't see how they can reasonably make sure everyone fits in their seat without having a test chair at check in.

I don't mind EasyJet - I don't mind the no frills approach at all. I just think RyanAir go out their way to make life as needlessly unpleasant for their customers as possible. There boss Michael o'Leary? seems to suggest more and more fanciful ways to screw money out of customers (most of which never get implemented -anyone remember standing room only flights and the pay to use the loo on the flight ideas - but generate loads of publicity for his crappy airline.)

He seems a horrible, horrible man and it seems to be reflected in the airline he runs.

Now I don't see that at all about Ryan Air. You don't have to fly with them. Last year we went to Salzberg with them. They were 55 pounds and BA for 250 pounds. We had to pay 60 for luggage but its no secret they charge.

I think RyanAir work on the same basis as Aberdeen Angus Steak Houses did in the 70s and 80s. That there are enough people in the world that you can rip them all off and treat them with utter contempt once.

Ryanair are fine when everything works ok and when you fit their profile, ie. you can travel light so ideally aren't with your family. When anything goes wrong they are not so good.

I had a dreadful experience one Christmas Eve trying to get to Ireland. There were airport problems which affected all flights but those of us on Ryanair waited the longest, had to get all our information from other airlines' staff and, when the passengers started to play up and get angry with the Ryanair staff (after hours of waiting in departures with no info while all other flights had left), they apparently went on strike and had to be coaxed back by the staff of other airlines who said they couldn't leave us at gatwick for Christmas. I eventually arrived at Dublin airport at about 3am on Christmas Day. There were plenty of babies and small children on that flight, bless them and their poor parents - I was luckily single and childless at the time. Not that it has stopped me travelling with them. Sometimes they are the only viable option for a particular destination.

But you get what you pay for with them, no doubt about it! And of course with all the added extras they are no longer always so cheap.

Being a guy, I'd lose out slightly on a 'total weight' based system, since women tend to be significantly lighter than men. I'm still in favour of it though, if it's a fair reflection of the airline's cost to transport me.

Really interesting posts HoneyStepMummy. I know on Ryanair at least, they insist you lower the armrest for take off and landing. So you would physically have to be able to get it down to stay in that one seat. However, once the plane has taken off, all bets are off.

The only time I ever suffered with being squashed was on an internal US flight where the man next to me insisted on raising the arm rest as he said it made him uncomfortable and then spilled into my seat. It was unpleasant and hot but I was quite young and too embarrassed to say anything. Now I think i would ask to be moved (although now, he wouldn't have anywhere to spill into as I would be taking up all of my own seat). It particulalrly annoyed me at the time as his wife was on the other side of him and I couldn't see why he didn't raise that arm rest and spill over onto her. Maybe they had had a row....

White Shoulders sounds like a great wheeze to achieve the Holy Grail - a whole three seat row to yourself!

White Shoulders is a really disgusting perfume http://www.amazon.com/White-Shoulders-Cologne-Lotion-Parfum/dp/B000P276AK but yes, I'm not sure is Elizabeth Taylor is involved. I might be confused. But it's my solution for getting rid of people you don't like on planes .

I don't see how an overweight person can 'spill' over to the point of taking up half (or laughably 3/4 as someone claimed ) of someone else's seat - the arm rest is in the way surely? Yes their arm/shoulder might take up a bit more of the width - but 'sitting on you'? Really?

Its interesting as well what you say about moving the slimer person into Business. And yes, I did know someone who was going to say at check in for safety reasons he needed a BS seat (he just didnt want to pay for it and was looking for a free upgrade!).

You know when someone comes on with real knowledge of a subject the problems/issues you think you see have already been thought of and in sensible ways too.

I have a friend who REALLY cannot understand that if the plane is not full in BS why shouldnt the airline open it up to everyone once they have boarded.

Hello Eostre! White Shoulders is an old and cheap perfume by Elizabeth Taylor. Smells worse than jet flumes.Yes, I do agree with the company policy of buying a second seat if there isn't an extra empty one on the plane. If there's an extra seat with moving people around the problem is resolved. They wouldn't have made any money on the empty seat anyhow so why not just use it to resolve the issue?I also have put the other (not the large one) passenger into a first class seat when coach was full. This wasn't done out of spite. The other passenger was the one who was inconvinienced and out of a seat, and quite frankly two coach seats are much roomier than one first class. The airline also preferred we do that, because the didn't want big people booking coach seats on purpose and demanding a free upgrade (their thoughts, not mine).TBH you have to be really big not to fit into just one seat. I'm sure this is more of a US problem. I remember working flights out of Texas where we ran out of all five seat belt extensions.